# Meeting Cost Calculator Practice

> Time tracking practice of calculating actual monetary cost of meetings by multiplying attendee count by hourly rates and duration, used to evaluate meeting necessity and encourage more efficient collaboration by making time costs visible.

- **URL:** https://hbr.org/2016/01/estimate-the-cost-of-a-meeting-with-this-calculator
- **Category:** Time Tracking Practice
- **Tags:** Meetings, Cost Analysis, Efficiency
- **Updated:** 2026-03-17 06:29
- **Canonical page:** https://timetrack.works/fr/items/meeting-cost-calculator-practice

## Details

## Overview

Meeting Cost Calculator Practice involves calculating and displaying the true monetary cost of meetings to encourage more thoughtful meeting practices and reduce unnecessary gatherings.

## Calculation Method

### Basic Formula
```
Meeting Cost = (Number of Attendees × Average Hourly Rate × Duration in Hours)
```

### Example Calculation
- 8 attendees
- $75 average hourly rate
- 1.5 hour meeting
- Cost: 8 × $75 × 1.5 = $900

### Opportunity Cost Addition
```
Total Impact = Meeting Cost + Opportunity Cost of Interrupted Work
```

## Implementation

### Before Meetings
- Calculate estimated cost
- Compare to value being created
- Decide if meeting truly needed
- Consider if fewer attendees sufficient
- Evaluate if shorter duration possible

### During Meetings
- Display running cost (some tools show this live)
- Creates urgency and focus
- Encourages efficient use of time
- Motivates staying on topic

### After Meetings
- Compare cost to outcomes achieved
- Evaluate if objectives met
- Decide if future meetings needed
- Adjust attendee list or duration

## Benefits

- Reduces unnecessary meetings
- Shorter, more focused meetings
- Fewer attendees per meeting
- Greater respect for others' time
- Better meeting preparation
- Clear ROI thinking

## Tools

- Harvard Business Review Meeting Cost Calculator
- Browser extensions showing live meeting cost
- Calendar plugins with cost estimates
- Custom spreadsheet calculators

## Best Practices

### Meeting Evaluation
- Will this meeting create value exceeding its cost?
- Could this be an email or document instead?
- Who truly needs to attend?
- What's the minimum effective duration?

### Transparency
- Share cost calculations with team
- Make costs visible organization-wide
- Use data to drive meeting culture change
- Celebrate reductions in meeting time

## Pricing

Free practice - calculator tools available online

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